Collision of worlds
by tkdprincess96
Summary: Nico, Ginny, Malfoy, Neville and Luna are all demigods- who are also wizards. Nico transfers to Hogwarts for his fifth year, much to the chagrin of Professor Umbrige. Will our heroes survive? And if so, will their friends discover their secret?
1. Prologue

Ginny grinned at her opponent as she kicked his arse yet again. This was starting to get pretty easy. Nico di Angelo rubbed his head as he stood up and narrowed his dark eyes, smirking. She gulped, knowing that she was in for it this time. Ginny quickly bounced on her feet, tucking her arms to her sides, and prepared to dodge, when unexpected, so fast that it could have been a trick of the light, he pounced. She tried to gain the upper hand, but he had the motivation of his pride, and of course, the bragging rights that came with a victory. Nico quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, and brought her down to the ground, smiling as she was held down for 5 seconds, whispering in her ear, "Dead." Ginny turned around and faced her boyfriend as he loosened his grip and smiled.

"I better not be, or else a certain goddess of wisdom will be hunting you down for killing her child." Nico grinned at her, saying,

"The underworld is a wonderful place to hide from angry goddesses and their beautiful red-headed daughters this time of year." He gave her a peck on the cheek and helped her up. "No Persephone." There was a collective groan from others around them as the two lovebirds looked up at their audience, the rest of the wrestling class for 3-4 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Clarisse glared down at them for messing up the angry and violent mood of her class, which she worked hard to maintain.

"You guys realize that most monsters won't help you up and give you a kiss to make it better, right? Because you guys are acting that monsters out there are something like, Puff the Magic Dragon, or something else equally nauseating."

Now, it was Nico's turn to glare. "Give me someone to spar that isn't my girlfriend, and I'll consider actually trying to wrestle someone."

Now Nico had two angry daughters of war gods staring him down. "What, I'm too easy of a victory? Or is this some misguided chivalry that's originated in the belief that women are weak, and we must be protected at all costs? Or…"

"No, it's because you scare me, and I'm smart enough to realize that if we were in a real fight, you'd probably kill me."

Ginny backed off. "At least you know what you're talking about."

Clarisse stepped into the ring and gave Ginny a glare. "Out, now." Ginny stepped out of the ring, and stood with the rest of her fellow classmates. Clarisse then fixed her gaze on Nico and said, "How about me?"

Nico plastered a sneer onto his face and growled. "Bring it on, LaRue." Clarisse threw her first punch, which Nico dodged, and then countered with a kick to her stomach. The kick made contact, and knocked the breath out of her. Nico set up for a punch, which Clarisse caught and pushed out to the side. She then used her shoulder to try to knock him down, using her hands to pummel every inch of his body. Nico, however, rolled out of the way, and let her fall to the ground. He then knelt beside her, laid one leg across hers, trapping them, and held her down by the throat calmly. She tried to resist, but his gangly long arms held her too far out. After five seconds of struggling leading up to nothing. Nico leaned in, staying away from her flailing limbs. "Dead." he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. He then let go, stood, and walked out of the ring.

Nico walked over to Ginny, put an arm around her waist, and walked away just in time for the gong to signal change in hour. For Nico and Ginny, that meant free time until 5. They walked down to their favorite spot quickly, lest someone see them. It was down by the canoe lake, right by the forest too. It was a little cave area that had probably once been used as a hiding place in case enemies approached from the Roman camp during the Civil War. But now it looked like it hadn't been touched in years, except for Nico and Ginny in recent years. They first found it after they had been dumped into the lake at the end of last summer, a tradition for after a couple was formed. They had swum out before anyone else could get to them, and stumbled into the cave. Ever since, it had been their spot.

They climbed inside, and huddled against one side of the cave, leaning against each other. They sat like that for a while, before Nico broke the silence. "I got expelled from Salem, you know?" Ginny looked up in surprise at her boyfriend.

"No, I didn't know. What happened?" Nico managed a wry grin.

"A few too many serious pranks on a few staff members and other students. But the headmaster didn't appreciate it when he was covered in goo that wouldn't come off for _weeks_."

Ginny laughed loudly. "Weeks?" Nico nodded, smiling. "What others were there?"

Nico leaned back and sighed. "What others, hmm? Well, there were the shadows that followed everyone all day, scaring people when their shadows went a little abnormal." Ginny giggled as she realized what her boyfriend had done to his former peers and teachers. "Then there was the puke that rained from the ceiling all day, stuff solidified the second it made contact with something. When people found out that it was me, I was glad that I was already en route to expulsion. Might as well go out with a bang, hey?" he raised his eyebrows suggestively as Ginny realized what he was trying to say.

"What did you do for the final prank? My brothers might run out of ideas." Nico's eyebrows nearly ran off of his forehead.

"Sorry sweetheart, I'm keeping that card close to my chest. Besides, it didn't turn out the way it was supposed to. It was meant to be a simple, relaxing, End-of-Exams prank, and something went wrong when the teachers tried to dismantle it. As in, injuries wrong. So if you don't mind, that secret isn't going anywhere, alright?" Ginny nodded, pouting a little. "Now, how would you feel about me attending Hogwarts, now that I'm expelled from Salem Academy?" Ginny's eyes lit up, and shock lit across her face.

"What? You're going to Hogwarts?"

"Well, maybe, if I can convince my dad. He wants to send me to Durmstrang, because he knows that pranking isn't tolerated. But if I can convince him that someone is keeping tabs on me at all times, then maybe I can go. Can you think of anyone up for the job?" he teased lightly.

"Well, seeing as you've got me and Neville in Gryffindor, Luna in Ravenclaw, and Draco in Slytherin, we can keep an eye on you. And seeing as you probably won't be in Hufflepuff, you will have someone in your house to report back to you father, and Draco can probably send in reports on you everyday to your dad. You'll be surrounded at all times, and you won't be alone." she remembered that at his last school, he had been the only half-blood there, surprisingly.

Nico looked at her with a smile slowly forming on his face. "Thanks, Ginny. Another of the millions of reasons why I love you."

"Only millions? I thought it was in the billions." Ginny said lightly, teasing Nico.

"Well, you are a daughter of Athena, while I'm just a dead head, so you are probably right."

Ginny put her hands on her hips in mock anger. "Probably? I am most definitely right! Daughter of wisdom, versus Son of death, who do you think is going to win this argument?"

"We are _not_ having an argument."

"Oh?"

"We're having a little, spat."

Ginny burst out laughing. "Spat! Really Nico, I might just make a Brit out of you yet." Their conversation continued along those lines for a while, until the gong sounded. Their eyes widened as they realized how much time they had spent, and quickly ran to the arena, where Percy was teaching sword fighting. Nico and Ginny, of course, teamed up, and Percy and Annabeth were demonstrating together as well. The two couples were shining, and the class had to be stopped a few times to tell people to practice, not stare. Ginny beat Nico eight times, and he beat her five. When the gong sounded again, Nico put an arm around Ginny's waist after they sheathed their weapons and started up to the dining pavilion.

At the dining pavilion, Nico and Ginny separated, Nico going to sit at his table with Draco, Ginny going to sit with her siblings, which included Luna. The camp quickly made their sacrifice to the gods, and one camper that went up got claimed, with a few flowers appearing over her head, a gasp heard from each table, except Nico's. Nico was staring, open-mouthed, and then he smirked. Oh, just wait until this girl gets a load of the underworld. She is going to go mad.

Chiron stood quickly and said, "All hail Arianna Pavasaro, daughter of Persephone." then, he looked around uncomfortably. Which table would be better, Hades or Demeter? He made up his mind when he saw that the Demeter table was getting crammed, even a slender girl like this one would fall off the bench. Hades, however, still had only two occupants. "Seeing as we don't have a Persephone table yet, could you sit at the Hades table with Messrs. di Angelo and Malfoy?" at the signal from Chiron, Nico stood, and Arianna made her way towards him quietly, aware that all eyes were on her. She looked towards the sons of Hades, Nico and Draco, she thought their names were, and saw that one had a small smirk on his face. Well, two could play at that game. She put a glare on her face, and the boy was unaffected. Looks like she's going to have to try harder.

The three didn't say anything during the meal, and right after Nico was finished, he finally said, "See ya." and headed over to the Athena table, where Ginny was also finished. Draco left quickly afterwards, saying just as few words. The Nico and Ginny grabbed hands, and walked off towards the direction of Nico's cabin, grabbing a few sweaters and blankets before setting out to sit in the clearing by Zeus's fist before the campfire.

A few weeks later, and camp was drawing to a close. Friends were saying their goodbyes, and the first campers were leaving for the mortal world. Nico and Ginny were walking on the beach one last time before the bus for the airport came for Ginny.

Nico was the first to break the silence. "So, I'll see you in a few weeks?"

Ginny smiled warmly back at her boyfriend. "I guess so." After much haggling, Hades had been convinced to let his son go to Hogwarts, though news of Arianna had severely damaged their chances, as Hades was in a bad mood, sulking around the palace, randomly banishing innocent souls to the Fields of Punishment, etc. Finally Nico had gotten through to him, mentioning that he was no better, which made Hades realize that his actions were a bit immature, though he still hadn't spoken to Persephone.

Nico ran a hand through his hair. "I can't believe I'm heading to Hogwarts. Do I get to meet your legendary half brothers, Gred and Forge? I want to compare notes." Ginny laughed at this.

"Please, does Hogwarts really need that? It's already got them torturing the school with pranks, with them and their new joke line and all." Nico's head perked up.

"They've got their own products? Are there any teachers that are positively evil, other than Snape? I need new bait."

"Nico!" Ginny playfully punched her boyfriend's arm. "It's not funny to joke like that, you could get expelled again, and then what would happen to you?"

"I'd do what I did last year, send you letters every day, along with a few presents every once in a while. Though I'd be at Durmstrang, where there's hopefully less security, it not being America and all."

"I didn't like the way that worked; I'd rather see you in person." Nico bent his head towards hers, and whispered.

"Same here." They leaned in to kiss, but the horn sounded for all those going on planes to get there now. Nico and Ginny ran towards the van, not willing to part until it was necessary. When they reached the van, Nico pecked her on the lips quickly before she ran into it just before the doors closed. She faced the window and waved to him as the van drove off, him waving back, both waiting the moment when they would be reunited, not knowing what was in store for them at Hogwarts.


	2. Back in England

Ginny walked off the airport, her luggage rolling behind her smoothly as she scanned the crowd for her family. They didn't know about her half-blood status, and she preferred to keep it that way. Her mom would blow a casket, and her brothers would torture her worse than usual. No, she was keeping this her little secret. Besides, the memory charm that Athena had used was flawless, covering anyone her parents may have had contact with in the months preceding her arrival at the Burrow, and as a child of a maiden goddess, her dad had to have been completely faithful. There was no reason to let them think she was any more or less than the daughter of Molly and Arthur Weasley.

"Ginny!" At the sound of her name, Ginny turned around, and saw a group of people that were obviously wizards, due to their eccentric appearance and a young woman wearing a Weird Sisters T-shirt. Also, the presence of the real Mad-Eye Moody made her positive that these people were here to get her. She sent a glance over to where Luna and Neville were greeting their families, on the other side of the room. Satisfied that they were out of sight unless you knew where to look for them, Ginny walked over to her guard, her bag being taken by Professor Lupin. She muttered a quick thank you and walked up to the young woman, who had purple hair and a kind face.

"Hey, what's with all of the security? I didn't think that I was that popular." The girl next to her smiled, and said,

"Its procedure now. You're a Weasley, and thus a target for death eaters. Oh, and I'm Tonks, an Auror that's a member of the Order." The woman had a bubbly way about her that reminded Ginny of Luna. She instantly liked her.

"What's the Order?" Ginny asked, confused.

"The Order of the Phoenix. It's a group of people that believe that Voldemort is back, and are prepared to fight. We protect people and guard things that we don't want the Death Eaters to get their hands on. For example, Weasleys who have to spend a month or so with their aunt in America. Or even Harry Potter, though we're not getting him until tomorrow. Until then, we're in charge of you until we get to headquarters. Then, your parents can have you."

"Where's that?" Tonks gave her a small smile, and replied,

"You'll see when we get there. It's got the fidelius charm on it. Dumbledore's the secret keeper, but he wrote the address on a piece of paper, so that you can get in without him being there."

It sounded simple. "Ok, and how are we getting there?" the daughter of Athena asked, her curiosity peaked. Was she gong side-along, or the floo, or…

"Car. We drove here." Ginny pouted.

"Why couldn't we fly?"

"There are only three guards, no need to involve brooms. Besides, headquarters are here in London, not far from the airport." She and Ginny proceeded to chat casually about music until they got to the airport entrance, after Ginny had commented on the shirt.

Ginny took a deep breath as she and her guard stepped out into the cool London air. It was chilly out, the sun about to set. Instantly, Tonks started to an old car, Remus and Mad-Eye following. Ginny hurried after her, Lupin allowing her to pass him, looking around for any sign of attackers. Seeing none, he put his wand away, and climbed into the driver's side and put the keys in the ignition. Ginny and Tonks were in the back, relaxed, Mad-Eye riding shotgun, his glass eye whizzing around freely, randomly sticking at odd times.

The drive was quick, though Ginny wasn't really paying attention, thinking of the coming year at Hogwarts. Things were going to be different now, with Voldemort back, and Nico coming to Hogwarts. They had been dating since the summer before, and she was crazy about him, and was going to have to pretend she didn't know him at first. He was going to pretend that Drake wasn't his brother, that he hated him. This would be the third year at Hogwarts since the four Hogwarts students had been claimed, and each year they had to pretend more and more, especially Draco. He had to keep up the cover of snooty Slytherin, even though he didn't care about that stuff. Honestly, if he was sorted now, he might even be a Gryffindor. But then again, Slytherin wasn't all about blood purity and the such, so one never knew. With all the sneaking around and lying he had to do, he was probably more of a Slytherin anyway.

Finally, the car pulled up to a row of houses on a dim street called Grimauld Place. They stopped in front of house number eleven, but strangely enough, there was no number twelve next to it, only ten and thirteen on either side. They got out of the car, and Mad-Eye handed her a slip of paper. She read it quickly, memorizing the narrow handwriting.

_The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number 12, Grimauld Place, London_.

After she was done reading the paper, she looked up, and saw the border between number eleven and thirteen separating, another house forming between them. The occupants of the other houses seemed ignorant, unchanged as a complete house seemed to fill in between them. When it was done, she started up to the door, Mad-Eye in the lead, Tonks and Lupin behind her. Mad-Eye pulled out his wand and tapped the door once, and a series of tumblers could be heard inside. The door opened slowly, creaking all the way.

"Get inside, and don't touch anything." Mad-Eye growled. She went in quickly, the smell of dust and rotting overtaking her senses. Lupin and Tonks followed, carrying her things. She took them quickly and went about half-way down the hall when Tonks bumped into something, a _CRASH _emanating throughout the house, and a loud shriek was heard throughout the house.

Curtains pulled themselves open, and revealed a portrait of a woman, drooling, and eyes rolled back inside her head, yellow skin taut with madness. The screech coming from her throat awoke the other portraits, which started screaming insults, flaunting their bigotry. _"Filth, Scum, Half-Breeds and Mutants! Products of dirt and vileness be gone from this place! How dare you defile the house of my father's-?"_

Lupin darted forward, and two others from the other end of the hall hurried to attempt to close the curtains, but the woman's clawed hands brandished themselves at them, as if trying to claw their eyes out. One of the people from the other end of the hall gave up the attempt and started to stun the other portraits, getting them to be quiet. The other two were still attempting to close the curtains, when one shouted at it, causing an even more violent reaction from the painting, but the two men managed to close the curtains, exhausted. The woman who had been stunning the other portraits turned around, grateful for the silence. A grin formed on Ginny's face.

"Mum." No matter what, Molly Weasley would always be her mum, even if there was no blood relation. Mum smiled too and rushed at her daughter, enveloping her in a huge hug. Ginny held on tight, missing the familiar feeling of a mother's hug, as Athena wasn't really a hugger.

"I missed you." Molly whispered as she held her daughter.

"Missed you too mum." Molly pulled away after a few minutes, and said

"You're sharing a room with Hermione, just upstairs and a few rooms down. Dinner's not for a while, so you're going to have to wait with the others." Ginny grabbed her luggage and quickly brought it upstairs, looking into the first room she saw. Ron, Fred, George, and Hermione were sitting on a couple of beds, deep in discussion. Ginny cleared her throat and got their attention. Hermione was the first to reach her, knocking the breath out of her. Next was Fred and George, who held onto her at the same time, releasing at the same time with grins on their faces. Finally, Ron hugged her tightly, Ginny reaching up in order to do so. _Merlin, he got tall over the summer!_ She let go, grinning at her brother's lanky frame.

"So, what's going on? What is this place? Tonks already told me what the Order was, so you don't have to cover that." She sat down next to Hermione, and relaxed.

Fred was the first to speak. "This is headquarters for the Order; it's also the Black family house. Sirius is lending it to Dumbledore, because it's got the most wards on a place, other than Hogwarts. It's damn impossible to break into, and it's got a fidelius charm, so unless Dumbledore tells you where it is, you really can't get in. Us kids are stuck up here while the adults have their meeting, since making this house livable isn't an option in case we try too hard to get close to the kitchen, where the meetings take place. They don't tell us anything, saying we're too young. Oh, and did I mention that we're not allowed to tell Harry anything, even after a dementor attacked him."

"WHAT! Harry was attacked by a dementor? When did this happen?" Ginny panicked. Harry had been attacked. Voldemort at large was starting to feel more and more real. Once again, she was glad that she, Luna, Neville, and Draco had decided to alert Chiron that summer. Even though a lot of the campers had groaned at the possibility of another war, it had been necessary.

"Two days ago, and so far, we have no idea when anyone's going to get him." This time it was Ron, upset that he wasn't allowed to talk to his best friend, even now that they were going to get him out.

"Tonks said that tomorrow night people would be bringing him here." Ginny added, figuring it could be of some comfort. Instantly, Ron and Hermione's eyes lit up, happier already.

"He'll be here? Tomorrow? Thank God, maybe he can call off Hedwig, I don't know what's gotten into that bird!" Only then did Ginny notice the fresh cuts that had been on her brother's and her best friend's fingers. Harry had probably told Hedwig to make sure he got a reply, if they hadn't been telling him anything. Alone with the Durselys, the knowledge of Voldemort's return, and the dementor attack, Harry was probably going crazy. A pang of sympathy rushed through her as she considered the circumstances.

Hermione noticed the luggage at the door, and immediately stood, making her way to the door. "We're sharing a room, I'll show you where it is." She picked up the luggage, and went down the hall, Ginny following at her heels. When they got to their room, Ginny took her luggage and put it on the empty bed, sitting down next to it. Hermione smiled at her friend warmly, saying, "I'll leave you to unpack." With that, she closed the door behind her, shutting it quietly.

Ginny laid down, arms dangling off of the bed behind her. She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and relaxed fully. She closed her eyes for a few minutes, and lay there, half-asleep. Eventually she opened them, and opened her trunk, unpacking her belongings. She took out a few "mortal approved" pictures, including pictures of her at Hogwarts, or those at home, and a few of camp, though those only included faces, never a background or reference to anything Greek or Roman. She couldn't take the chances of someone getting suspicious. Ginny then put her clothes in the chest on her side of the room, putting them in their proper place neatly. One of Nico's sweatshirts that she had stolen tumbled out, and she put it under her bed, next to her trunk which was slid under there smoothly when she finished packing. Hermione came back in, closing the door behind her for privacy.

"I see you're finished." At Ginny's nod, she continued. "Dinner should be ready soon, but not for at least a half-hour. Are you hungry?" Hermione asked, remembering the time difference. Ginny shook her head.

"I ate on the plane, I'm fine."

Hermione smiled and leaned forward, her elbows resting lightly on her knees. "So, tell me about America."

Ginny smiled as the memories of Camp rushed over her, washing over her brain, thousands of images coursing through her head. The primary focus was of course, Nico. He had been the one to get her, Neville, Luna and Draco to camp in the first place. A blush formed over her cheeks as thoughts of their summer, and previous summers when she had a crush on him washed over her. "It's really relaxed, a lot different from here. New York is _so_ busy, even if I only on Long Island! All the places, the sounds, it's incredible! And there are a couple of kids by my aunt's house my age, so I hung out with them. It was really fun, overall. Tiring, but fun." Hermione gave her an all-knowing smile.

"I take it that there was a summer romance there?" Ginny gasped. Her blush was really that obvious?

"Not exactly a summer romance, so to speak. We're still together." seeing Hermione's confusion, she explained. "He's a wizard, and he's transferring to Hogwarts this year. Salem didn't want him for the same reason that Fred and George might end up rich someday."

"He got expelled for _pranking_! I feel bad for the teachers. If he's that bad, then how are they going to handle him, and the twins?"

"I made him promise to be good, and so did his dad. He has to be, or else he gets sent straight to Durmstrang. And he really doesn't want to go there, a little too far from home for his taste. Plus the idea of learning another language doesn't really appeal to him, and neither does Durmstrang's emphasis on the Dark Arts."

Hermione gave a huff. "Well, if that's it, I guess I won't tell your brothers. Are you two going to tell people that you're dating, or are you going to keep it secret for a while?" Ginny shook her head.

"We're going to keep it secret. I didn't say that he couldn't give the boys ideas, and he believes Harry, doesn't think that someone would lie about that kind of thing, so I don't want them to hate him. He's aiming to be in Gryffindor, so if he's got classes with you guys, I don't want any jinxes going his way."

Hermione pouted. "Ok, I won't tell anyone, but if he does anything bad…"

"I get the picture, besides; I'll deal with him first. Trust me; I know how to scare him." Ginny gave her friend an evil smile, which made her relax.

"Alright, I'll let it go. So, what else happened over your summer?"

The two girls started talking calmly, Ginny giving her friend the edited version of some events, leaving the other wizards out of the discussion. On the other side of the door, two red-headed twins pulled their Extendable Ears out from under the door. Hogwarts was getting a new prankster, who was also dating Ginny? Why, they had to find this person and meet them. It would be good to get some fresh ideas flowing, and perhaps a new ally.

But if their baby sister's heart got broken, or virtue tainted, all bets were off. They were going down.


	3. Here at Hogwarts

The Weasleys, Hermione, Harry, and other members of the Order of the Phoenix walked quickly to King's Cross Station, and made their way through the barrier without trouble. Tonks hugged Ginny and Hermione goodbye, and they all got hugs from Mrs. Weasley. Ginny glanced around the platform, looking for her friends from camp. Draco was boarding the train, and Luna was saying goodbye to her dad. Neville was wrenching himself from his grandmother's grasp, and Nico was nowhere to be seen. Ginny shrugged it off, and started walking towards the train. He was probably already on the train. All of a sudden, she felt someone push her from behind, and fall on top of her.

"What the hell! Seriously, watch where you're going, you-" she stopped as she looked up into the _very_ apologetic face of Nico di Angelo.

"I'm sorry, ok?" he stood and helped her up, smiling at her. "My step-sister pushed me." Ginny looked around Nico, and sure enough, Arianna was smiling at her, waving her little fingers. Behind her were two people that could only be Hades and Persephone, here to see Nico off.

"Nico, why did you push that pretty girl over? Seriously, that is not the way to get a girl to like you." Arianna was grinning evilly, with a mask of innocence. Yep, she was Persephone's kid alright.

"Hey, you pushed me, you little brat!" Nico retorted, teasing, but only a little. The two still didn't get along well, and showed it. Nico glared at his step-sister, and was given one in return.

"Ginny!" Ginny turned around and saw her mother waving over at her. She glanced up at the clock and saw that she only had two minutes left until the train left.

She quickly turned around to Nico and said, "Well, it was nice meeting you."

He shook her hand politely. "You too. And it's Nico, obviously." He pointed over his shoulder at Arianna. Ginny smiled back in kind.

"And I'm Ginny. I'll see you at school?"

"Sure. Bye."

"Bye." Ginny winked at him and started running over to the train, desperate to board in time. She grabbed onto a rail and pulled herself onto the train, turning to look at her parents and wave, stealing a glance at Nico. His dad hugged him stiffly, and Persephone gave him one stiffer. Arianna just punched him on the shoulder. He started running over as well, and Ginny made herself scarce, and found Harry, who had her trunk. She thanked him, and started looking for a seat. They ran into Neville Longbottom, who was also looking for a seat.

"There's an almost empty compartment right there." She said as she saw Luna sitting by herself. Neville muttered something about not wanting to disturb, though Ginny knew what he meant. At Hogwarts, they had to keep up appearances, which meant that Luna acted far more queer than she normally was, and Neville was a little more fearful. At camp, they were also a couple, but had only gotten together two days before camp ended. They would probably officially be together at Hogwarts around November, maybe October. It all depended on how often they would see each other.

"Don't be silly, it's only Luna Lovegood." She reached over and opened the compartment door, poking her head inside. "Hey, can we sit here?" Luna looked up and saw Harry there and gathered an air of dottiness, maintaining her Hogwarts personality. She nodded as her eyes ranged over Neville and Harry, who were taking in her appearance as well, butterbeer cork necklace and all. "Thanks." She entered the compartment, followed by Neville and Harry. Harry and Neville stowed their trunks and Hedwig's cage in the luggage racks above and sat down, Harry right across from Luna, and by the looks of it, not particularly pleased. "How was your summer Luna?" Ginny asked, trying to lighten the mood. Of course, if Harry wasn't there the mood wouldn't need to be lightened. She mentally shook the thought from her head. It wasn't Harry's fault that he wasn't prefect, though not hearing Mum exclaim over Ron getting the position she could have done without.

Luna was about to respond when the compartment door slid open, and a dark-haired head poked its way inside. "Excuse me, but everywhere else is full." Nico smiled apologetically. Harry looked like the idea of a complete stranger in his compartment was the last thing he wanted, but wisely kept his mouth shut. The rest of them nodded, and waved him inside. He sat next to Ginny, and she instinctively wanted to lean onto his shoulder, but repressed the urge. Harry didn't know about her second life, and she was determined to keep it that way.

"I'm Nico, Nico di Angelo." He offered after a few minutes of silence, nervous slightly, waiting for someone else to say something. Neville was the first to respond.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Neville Longbottom." Neville leaned forward and shook Nico's hand, the two shaking hands firmly. Harry soon followed his example, introducing himself, and shaking his hand as well. Ginny followed his example, keeping up pretenses. Luna just said her name and nodded. Nico sat back, was quiet and held himself defensively, falling back into his son of Hades moodiness.

About a half hour into the journey, Fred and George poked their head into the compartment, and grinned. They had slipped into the girl's room over the summer and had searched for pictures. They had found a few of the mysterious kid that was now sitting next to their sister. They could only assume that this kid was the one that Ginny talked about while with Hermione. "Why hello there." Fred started. Nico looked up and recognized the unique shade of ginger hair that all Weasleys possessed. These two must be the twins, a.k.a. his future pranking partners.

"I don't believe we've ever met." George continued.

"Let us introduce ourselves." Fred added.

"He's Forge." George continued on.

"And he's Gred." Fred finished, Nico very confused. He turned to the rest of the people in the compartment. Harry decided to let the poor kid out of his misery and explain.

"He's Fred, and the other's George. They're twins, obviously, and Ginny's older brothers. Be careful, they're not good people to cross. They are the ultimate pranksters." Harry explained, pointing to each in turn.

"In that case, they should be worried. Their titles have been threatened." Nico warned, leaning back with a little smirk.

"Really, kid? What makes you so sure you can beat us?" Fred and George had sat by now, and it was George who directed the question, though both were leaning forward, chins rested on elbows, which were rested on their knees lightly.

Nico let out a smile that was a scarier than it was kind. "I was expelled from Salem for pranking. Trust me; I know a thing or two on the subject."

Fred and George, however, looked like they had just met their hero. "Really? How bad could you have been?"

"The final straw was somewhere in between the raining puke and turning all of the students and teachers Pepto-Bismol pink. I don't think the professors found either funny though." As Nico finished, Fred and George found themselves looking at the kid in awe. At least their little sister had good taste!

"Would you consider working with us on a few pranks?" Fred asked.

"Yes, we would be oh so delighted if we could borrow your services. You see, we have a pranking product company-"

"Plan to put Zonkos out of business-"

"And a little help with some new ideas would be lovely."

"Yes, absolutely lovely my good fellow." Fred finished, though with the way those two were going the only way he knew was because Fred's bangs were gathered in the middle, while George's were pushed out to reveal a space in the center. Of course, he couldn't say this, so he decided keep it general while speaking to them for a month or so.

"Sorry, but my dad made me promise to be good and not get caught. I'll do a couple funny ones with the planning and everything, but with the execution you're on your own." Nico laid down a rule. If his dad got sent one owl saying that he had been caught pranking, he would be sent straight to Durmstrang. And since he liked seeing his brother and girlfriend, he would be a good boy- for now.

"What! But we need the expertise of your mind, the finesse, the polish, the-"

"Guys, if you have lasted this long, I'm sure you don't need Nico's help." Ginny quickly intercepted, saving her boyfriend from her brothers. Maybe they wouldn't try to kill him.

"Thank you Ginny. And I'm really sorry guys, but my father doesn't make empty threats. I don't think he even knows the meaning of the phrase. And when he says that if I get caught doing anymore pranks I'll go straight to Durmstrang, he means that if he hears a rumor that I did something even related to the matter, I will be sent to Durmstrang. And the idea of learning another language doesn't really appeal to me."

"Why not?" this time, it was Hermione's voice that broke through the general babble of the compartment. Apparently she and Ron were done with the prefects meeting, because they were lounging outside of the compartment, leaning against the doorframe.

Nico turned to smile at them, though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "I already speak English, Greek and Italian. I don't see the need to learn another."

Hermione's jaw dropped wide open, and Nico smirked a little. "Best close it before the flies go in." as if on command, Hermione's jaw did as asked, but that might have been the way Nico said it, channeling his father.

"How, I mean, you're only, and why?"

"My dad's from Greece and my mom is from Italy. I don't have much of an opportunity to practice the Italian, but my cousins and I on my dad's side speak Greek all of the time. Trust me, sometimes you're trying to remember which language you're speaking, and remember who you're speaking to. And of course, I'm born in America, so English was sort of pushed on me."

"Impressive. You're a shoe-in for Ravenclaw." Harry said. Nico just shook his head lightly at this.

"Ravenclaw?" Nico already knew what the houses were and everything, but appearances must be kept.

"Oh, it's one of the four houses of Hogwarts. When you get there, you will be sorted according to your dominant personality traits. Gryffindors are really brave, Hufflepuffs really loyal, Ravenclaws really intelligent, and Slytherins really cunning. But the Slytherins also have this idea that purebloods are better the rest of us. Honestly, it's so stupid." Hermione had explained all this, already launching into her duties as a prefect.

"I'll have to agree with you there. Pureblood supremacy is the stupidest thing ever. Then again, they're all so inbreeded I don't think half of them have the brains to realize how stupid it is. At Salem we had a group like that, and the entire way there my first year I was praying I didn't get caught up with them. Needless to say, they became the butt of a lot of nasty pranks."

The rest of the group shared smiles. At least Malfoy wouldn't try to sway their new friend.

The rest of the ride continued with no incident, and no further interruptions, thanks to people avoiding Harry. Nico slowly settled in with his new friends, praying that the hat didn't put him into Slytherin. If that happened, then only disaster would ensue. Drake may be there, but his housemates would be horrible. He had the confirmation from Drake that while he might definitely have several traits that were appreciated there, he would not do well with the crowd.

When they got to Hogwarts, Nico was taken with the first years, and the rest went into the carriages. Harry saw the Thestrals, and Luna explained what they were. Once at the castle, the group separated into their respectable houses, and waited for the sorting to begin.

When Nico heard the call for the first years, he was pushed over to an elderly woman with short cropped gray hair and a prominent chin. He quickly plastered a smile on his face, and approached her, faking the extreme politeness.

"Excuse, me, but I'm a transfer student, and don't know where I'm supposed to be. Could you help me out?"

The woman put a huge grin on her face, and answered jovially. "Sure thing, Professor Dumbledore told me about you. You're going to ride with me to the castle in the boats, and then wait by the doors to the Great Hall when we get there until you're called for to be sorted. No big deal." She put a hand on Nico's shoulder, and dragged him over to the main boat, where he reluctantly stepped in, remembering Poseidon. Luckily, the ride to the school was uneventful, Nico praying under his breath to his uncle that he not get thrown overboard. 'I promise, for the solstice I'll get you a nice tie and everything, just don't tip the boat. Don't tip the boat, please don't tip the boat.' were the lines of his mental mantra.

When they got to the castle, a few of the first years were looking around in complete awe, though Nico kept his silent. Hogwarts _was_ rather impressive, but after seeing Olympus and the Underworld, it was hard to be impressed. Very hard indeed.

The first years finally noticed him waiting in the back, despite his best efforts to press into the wall and hide in the shadows. There was some murmuring about him for a few seconds before a gutsy kid came forward and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Transfer student."

"Hogwarts doesn't take transfers." The kid said this with a very obvious tone of superiority, suggesting being spoiled from the cradle.

"Well, obviously, they do, or else I wouldn't be here." At this, the doors to the great hall opened, and a stern looking woman with spectacles and a severe black bun, dressed in dark green robes with a matching hat emerged. Obviously, this was Professor McGonagall. She looked pointedly at the first years. She then looked up to Nico.

"Mr. di Angelo, if you will wait here until the first years are sorted, that would be good. The Headmaster will call for you when we are ready. First years, come along." The second part was directed at the now trembling, smaller students, awaiting their first real view of Hogwarts. Nico leaned out a bit, but the door shut behind the other students before he could get a good look at the room. He let out a sigh, and repositioned himself directly outside the doors, waiting to enter, listening for a cue or signal for when the sorting would begin. After a few seconds, when sounds inside had died down, a voice drafted back to Nico, washing over him and the rest of the members of the castle.

In times of old, when I was new,  
And Hogwarts barely started,  
The founders of our noble school  
Thought never to be parted.  
United by a common goal,  
They had the selfsame yearning  
To make the world's best magic school  
And pass along their learning.  
"Together we will build and teach"  
The four good friends decided.  
And never did they dream that they  
Might some day be divided.  
For were there such friends anywhere  
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?  
Unless it was the second pair  
Unless it was the second pair  
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,  
So how could it have gone so wrong?  
How could such friendships fail?  
Why, I was there, so I can tell  
The whole sad, sorry tale.  
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those  
Whose ancestry's purest."  
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose  
Intelligence is surest"  
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those  
With brave deeds to their name."  
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot  
And treat them just the same."  
These differences caused little strife  
When first they came to light.  
For each of the four founders had  
A house in which they might  
Take only those they wanted, so,  
For instance, Slytherin  
Took only pure-blood wizards  
Of great cunning just like him.  
And only those of sharpest mind  
Were taught by Ravenclaw  
While the bravest and the boldest  
Went to daring Gryffindor.  
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest  
and taught them all she knew,  
Thus, the Houses and their founders  
Maintained friendships firm and true.

So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
for several happy years,  
but then discord crept among us  
feeding on our faults and fears.

The Houses that, like pillars four  
had once held up our school  
now turned upon each other and  
divided, sought to rule.  
And for a while it seemed the school  
must meet an early end.  
what with dueling and with fighting  
and the clash of friend on friend.  
And at last there came a morning  
when old Slytherin departed  
and though the fighting then died out  
he left us quite downhearted.  
And never since the founders four  
were whittled down to three  
have the Houses been united  
as they once were meant to be.

And now the Sorting Hat is here  
and you all know the score:  
I sort you into Houses  
because that is what I'm for.  
But this year I'll go further,  
listen closely to my song:  
though condemned I am to split you  
still I worry that it's wrong,  
though I must fulfill my duty  
and must quarter every year  
still I wonder whether sorting  
may not bring the end I fear.  
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
the warning history shows,  
for our Hogwarts is in danger  
from external, deadly foes  
and we must unite inside her  
or we'll crumble from within  
I have told you, I have warned you...  
let the Sorting now begin.

Applause filled the silence when the hat was done, though it was punctured with mutterings and quiet remarks. The black-haired woman's voice drifted through, cutting the noise at the same time.

"Abercrombie, Euan" a moment later a loud "GRYFFINDOR" blared through the rooms, and applause erupted from inside. It continued along this line until "Zeller, Rose" was sorted to "HUFFLEPUFF", and the Sorting ended for the first years. But for Nico it had yet to begin.

A loud, male voice rang throughout the Hall and through the doors. "Hello and welcome back our older students, and welcome to our first years. I do have some exciting news before the feast begins. This year Hogwarts is also welcoming a transfer student. He is a fifth year from America, previously attending The Salem Witches' Institute. Ladies and Gentlemen, please join me in welcoming our new transfer student, Mr. Nico di Angelo!" Nico took this to be the signal, and opened the doors enough to go through, before letting them quietly fall into place, using the shadows to cushion the sound. He held his shoulders back and walked forward proudly, an emotionless mask on his face. Nico held himself in a position of power, and authority. Whispers grew around him, but Nico paid them no heed. He was used to the whispers from camp, he would merely have to deal with them here as well.

Calm on the outside, but internally a nervous wreck, Nico walked up the steps to where an ancient and patched hat was held by the dark-haired, severe woman. He sat on the stool, and the hat was placed on top of his head.

"_Hmm. Very interesting. A demigod, and a son of Hades at that. Highly cunning, and extremely brave. Quick-thinking, and faithful to those that you trust, but those are few and far between. Slytherin would be a good place for you, I think."_

"_NO! I don't want to be stuck with the blood purists, just ignore the whole cunning part and focus on the bravery. My wonderful Gryffindor girlfriend says I'm too chivalrous for my own good, isn't that available for you to see?"_

"_Ah, I see the cunning with you trying to redirect me. But that won't work. Thousands of students have tried to hoodwink the Sorting Hat, and none have succeeded. Don't worry; Slytherin may be a good house for you, though it isn't the best house. You tend to take the obvious approach, such as with your father, desperate to get information. You have a strong sense of self-preservation, but you will throw that out the window when someone that you care about or owe is in danger. And you have a strong sense of honor and duty, holding anyone, including yourself, to their word. And the sense of chivalry is most definitely present add that to all the horrors you have faced that come with being a demigod, and I would have to say that the house for you is most definitely _GRYFFINDOR!"

The last word was shouted for the entire Hall to hear, and applause erupted, especially from one particular table. Nico started over to that table, all the while scanning for his brother on the other end of the Hall. He finally caught his eye and gave a brief smile, receiving one in return. Nico felt a familiar presence in his mind and relaxed as he sat down next to Fred and George, his brother's voice washing over him.

"_Good luck with the lions Nico."_

"_And the same with the snakes." Nico returned, teasingly. A scowl was sent from Draco, and then the connection dropped_.

An old man at the center of the table stood, and announced clearly to all, "Tuck in!" and food appeared on the tables. Nico immediately complied, digging into the food. Soon the food changed to dessert, and after that it was finished. After the food disappeared, the old man stood again, and started a speech.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said the man, who Fred explained to be the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students – and a few of our older students ought to know by now too." Snickers and smiles were exchanged around the Hall, primarily by occupants of the Gryffindor table.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me to be the four hundred and sixty-second time that magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, the full list being attached to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We have two staffing changes this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubby-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also pleased to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." There was a round of quiet, but polite applause at this.

"Try-outs for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the—"

He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge said "Hem, hem." And it was made clear that she had stood and intended to make a speech.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and little-girlish, and Nico felt a rush of dislike for the woman. And judging by the expressions by those around him, he wasn't the only one. She gave another throat-clearing cough and continued: "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" she smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "and to see such happy little faces looking back at me!" on the contrary, the people of the hall seemed annoyed and taken aback at being addressed as if they were five years old.

"I am looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll become very good friends!"

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to this historic school. However, progress, for the sake of progress, must be discouraged. Let us preserve, what needs to be preserved, perfect, what can be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited." She sat down, and the teachers clapped, though only once or twice, glad the speech was over. The students had zoned out, but before they could really start clapping properly, the headmaster stood again.

"Thank you Professor Umbridge, for that illuminating speech. Now, as I was saying, tryouts will be held…" but Nico wasn't paying attention. He had heard about Quidditch, and had no inclination of getting on a broom. A son of Hades in the sky on a regular basis? No thanks, if he wanted the paranoid uncle to kill him, he would have asked. No, he was more worried about the speech from the new teacher. There was something about her that suggested that she was going to try to change Hogwarts as much as she could, and not for the better.

Finally, Dumbledore bid them goodnight, and Nico followed his housemates to a portrait of a fat lady. The password was given, _Mimbulus mimbletonia._ Nico quietly went up to his dorm, and walked in on some of his roommates having an argument over something.

"What's going on?" the rest of the boys turned, remembering that they had a new dorm mate. Ron introduced him to Dean and Seamus, and explained what the fight had been over.

"Well, I see no reason for a person to lie about that stuff. So either he is completely off his rocker—"

"Oi!" Harry let out, annoyed.

"Or he's telling the truth. And since most of my family can be crazy at times, especially my dad, I doubt Harry is insane. Trust me; I know the signs well enough. You're just as sane as I am. Probably saner." With that Nico walked over to the empty bed and pulled out his pajamas. He silently got ready for bed, and lay down, pulling the hangings around his bed closed. And then he fell into a dreamless sleep for once in his life.


	4. Chapter 4

Nico woke up the next morning, and glanced around his surroundings. Four-poster bed, dark red curtains around him, silky sheets, and mahogany wood for the furniture. Where the Hades was he? Then the events of the previous night caught up to his sleep-encrusted brain. He was at Hogwarts, in the dorm for the fifth year Gryffindors. He was a Gryffindor. A Gryffindor, with Ginny, Neville, and the rest of the Weasleys. A Gryffindor with more options for friends, and since he didn't make them very easily, that was important. Besides, maybe he could help out in the planning of some pranks with Fred and George. He had to make sure his hands stayed clean, but not so clean that the twins decided to kill him.

Nico showered and was dressed just as the others were getting up, and sat around, waiting for someone else to be ready, so that he didn't get lost going to breakfast. Neville finished first, and Nico followed him out, glad to escape Harry, who seemed to be in a bad mood that morning.

He and Neville quickly made their way down to the Great Hall, Neville getting them through without getting lost. They took a seat next to Fred and George, who tried to talk them into trying out their new joke line. They wisely declined the offer, knowing that a bad prank could have disastrous consequences. Professor McGonagall came around with their schedules, and Neville groaned when he saw his. Nico looked at his own, and saw why. They had History of Magic, double Potions, Ancient Runes and double Defense Against the Dark Arts.

History of Magic was said to be the most boring subject in all of Hogwarts. They had a good teacher at Salem, who made everything interesting. He was a little like Chiron, and everyone liked him. Potions was a bit boring at times, but occasionally a person would blow up a cauldron or two, and everyone would laugh, even the one that blew up the cauldron. And America was a much more violent place than England, so naturally their Defense lessons were a bit harsh. But by the way this Umbridge woman was last night, things were going to be far more different than they were in America, or judging by the reactions of the other students, previous years as well. Nico leaned back and sighed. It seemed as though this was going to be a very long year. Hopefully the curse on the position would act the way Ginny and Draco said it would, and they would be soon rid of the woman.

Neville and Nico quickly finished their breakfast and hurried on up to History of Magic. Nico found that the other demigods spoke the truth, that his class could put you to sleep in ten minutes or less. Nico immediately took out a quill and set it to "Quick-Quotes" mode, ensuring that he would get the notes he needed, while allowing him to ignore the lesson and attempt to have a mental conversation with Draco.

_Ugh, History is as boring as the Fields of Asphodel._

**_I'll say. And I've been suffering it for four years now. You got it lucky bro. I'll see you next period though, McGonagall is watching me._**

_Sure thing. See ya!_

Nico broke the connection and considered taking Fred and George up on their offer, just to get out of this period. Of course, that could be dangerous to his health, and he didn't have any way of contacting the twins, so unless he wanted to let off some Son of Hades mumbo jumbo, he was stuck there. And even then, the wretched ghost might keep the class going. Oh why couldn't this guy just realize that he was dead and pass on already?

When the period ended, many students grabbed their bags and ran out of the room, anxious to leave, though slowed down while in the halls. If the rumors on Snape were true, and Nico was willing to bet his life that they were, the next two periods were going to be hell.

Once in the dungeons, Nico and Neville grabbed a station together, and waited for the teacher to enter.

"Settle down," said Snape coldly, shutting the door behind him. There was no real need to call class to order; the moment the class heard the door close, quiet had fallen and all fidgeting stopped. Nico suddenly knew that the others hadn't exaggerated. If anything, they toned it down. He could have easily passed for Nico's dad, with the hair, black robes, and overall effect he had on others.

Snape quickly explained about the O.W.L.s, which Nico tuned out. In America, they had their major tests a year earlier, so Nico had already been through it once, he didn't need a second time. Of course, he would still have to take the tests, but with a few minor adjustments, the tests were all the same, seeing as they were made by the International Federation or something of the sort. He would barely have to study for this year, but it would be necessary to brush up on a few things. And they said that America was lazy. But maybe they were just talking about their muggle counterparts. Magical America had a much better academic record.

Snape explained the potion that they were going to create the potion that day. The Draught of Peace, a complex potion that Nico remembered brewing at the end of his third year. Gods, how behind were these people? Neville mumbled something about faking bad potions, and Nico realized how much effort he had put into his pretense. Nico nodded to Neville, and promised to take control most of the time, so Neville didn't have to worry about being caught.

Soon, it was almost done, and while Nico and Neville's potions wasn't perfect, it was usable, though not nearly as efficient as the potion Snape described. If anything it needed to be concentrated a bit more, but that could be done easily, or the dosage raised. Professor Snape walked around, judging the potions. Hermione Granger's was perfect, though Harry's was given a zero, yet those worse were given a fair chance. Nico felt a bristle of anger at how unfair Snape was. Honestly, a man like that should not be a teacher. His dad could probably do a better job, and he was a bit of a homicidal maniac.

Ancient Runes with Hermione was interesting, he had taken the class in Salem, but it wasn't quite the same. Salem left a bit to be desired, and wasn't quite clear all of the time. Professor Babbling however, was not like her name stated and was clear and concise. Either way, the class flew by quickly, leaving Hermione and Nico chatting happily about the runes when they left class to go to Defense, dreading the two periods that they would have to spend with the woman.

When they entered the classroom, they fell silent, and Hermione left to sit with Ron and Harry, Nico sitting next to Neville. Professor Umbridge was sitting at her desk, looking like a toad with a fly on its head, the fly being a black bow nestled snugly in place.

"Well, good afternoon!" she said when the class had settled down. The class responded in a mumble, not very eager. "Well, that won't do. Please answer 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge!"

They chanted the reply, and started to take out their wands when they were told to put them away, and take out their quills instead. This was bound to be a boring lesson. She took out her own wand, a rather short one, and tapped the board, words appearing on it.

**Defense Against the Dark Arts**

**A Return to Basic Principles**

Umbridge continued on about the fragmented education they had received, and that the Ministry was taking a more direct approach in their education, a safer one, that was all theory. Nico was about to go crazy. All that reading and no spells! Honestly, his ADHD was going to drive him nuts! So, he raised his hand, and saw that he was not the only one, Hermione being the second. After a few more minutes, Umbridge finally called on him.

"Dear, is there something in the text that you don't understand?"

"Yes, actually, where is the practical application in all this?"

Umbridge cocked her head a little, confused. "What do you mean?"

"The book and the course standards, it's all theory. Where are we going to learn the practical application in all of this? We do have a section in our exams for the practical. If we don't practice, how can you expect us to pass?"

"Well, Mr. -?"

"di Angelo."

"Yes, Mr. di Angelo, if you understand the theory, the practical should come easy enough."

"First, theory and practical applications of a subject are two different things. Second, you realize that we are eventually going to need to learn to defend ourselves, right? Honestly, the theory isn't going to be enough."

"Why, who would want to hurt little children like yourselves?"

Nico let out a bark of laugher, grinning at the professor. "Lady, are you high?"

"Excuse me?" Umbridge shouted, indignant.

"You know, sniffing potions, doing drugs, under the influence? Or are you just naturally stupid? Because the world is not a pretty place filled with rainbows and ponies. It's hard, and it's rough. People attack and are thrown to desperate measures for the littlest things, and there are bound to be psychos out there that are just waiting to recruit for the next dark lord coming around. And we're fifth years, not five years old. We aren't little children, and it wouldn't matter if we were. I know people that have been fighting for their lives since before they were eligible for Hogwarts. I don't know too much about England, but I do know that when a dark lord does come along, it's at the worst time possible. So I think it's safe to say that some crazy person is going to look through people that supported the last dark lord, Voldieshorts or something like that, and get them on his side. We all know that there are death eaters out there that escaped Azkaban because they weren't high up enough, or they went underground, and they are prime candidates, along with their kids and such. So I think that it is a very good idea that we take practicals seriously and actually learn something. Because if any of us die because of some weirdo roaming the streets, waiting for the perfect moment to break out, then it's on your head, and our blood on your hands." Nico finished from his speech, the teacher flabbergasted, along with most of the class. Well, there went his chances of blending in.

Umbridge recovered, and a wide, sarcastic smile crept onto her face. "Well Mr. di Angelo, I think it's time you learned some manners. Detention with me for a week. Writing lines. My office, five o'clock, tomorrow evening. Now, without further interruptions, continue with the lesson, and read the first chapter of your books, NOW!" the class complied without haste, scanning over the pages quickly, praying that the class would end soon. Nico pretended to read, but didn't really bother, partly because of his dyslexia, partly because of what had been done. When Umbridge had said that he was going to be writing lines, there seemed to be more to it. And she seemed the type to bring in a cursed quill to keep students in lin


	5. Chapter 5

Nico placed his knight carefully into position, and prayed that Ron didn't notice what he did. He then prayed that he would take the bait and please please please…

"Ha, got your queen!" Ron's face was smug, two moves away from taking Nico's king. The two were in the common room; playing chess when they should have been doing homework, but what did it matter. It was just a repeat of the year before for Nico, and Ron had Hermione to help him out, as she had a tendency to take pity on him and Harry at the last minute. Ginny said that Ron loved chess, and if this was what it took to make sure his girlfriend's brother didn't kill him; then he would happily take it. Being friends with the boy could only help, and Ron seemed like a nice guy.

Nico made no comment; years of living with the god of the Underworld did that to him; but instead whispered instructions for his knight to slide over to Ron's king, knocking it over, and muttering "checkmate" under his breath. Ron just stared at him in disbelief.

"How did you- I mean, how- I didn't see," Ron continued to stare at him for a minute, and then reverted his attention to the chess board, seeing exactly how he had been beaten. It took a minute, but then he saw how Nico had distracted him, sacrificing some powerful pieces, all the while keeping his king protected, taking pieces that could prove a threat. And then, when Ron was focused on getting the queen, Nico had slipped his knight in position to take the king, providing Ron's rook moved. Ron just played right into Nico's hands.

Ron glared up at him. "I want a rematch. Now." In response to this, Nico made a big deal of checking his watch, frowning at the time it showed.

"Sorry, I've got detention in a half hour, and I want to get something to eat first. Can you show me the way down, it being my first day and everything? I'd rather not get another detention because I got lost." Nico admitted, appearing a bit sheepish.

"Alright." Ron agreed, although he was a bit grumpy about it. "Though can we have that rematch later? I mean, I have a reputation to consider, and if people find out that I let a newbie beat me, well, it could be a bit embarrassing." Nico shot him a reassuring smile, and started to the portrait door, opening it and walking through.

"Don't worry, you can have that rematch, and I will make no attempts to take away your chess champion title. As long as no attempts are made on my poker title that is…" Ron gave a small chuckle as they continued walking down the hall, scanning the walls for something, though Nico couldn't imagine what. Nico looked at him, puzzled. "What's so funny?"

Ron uncovered his mouth and explained. "Fred and George are the reigning poker kings here, in addition to being the prankster kings. They have a tendency to go crazy if someone threatens their title."

"So, I've been playing poker since I was eight or nine. And I had picked it up pretty quickly. Just ask my friends, I cleared out their purses on a regular basis. Though after a while they refused to play with any real money, only candy or chocolate frog cards. I can't imagine why though." Nico ended with an innocent little smile gracing his features, looking benignly at Ron, who was staring at him, open-mouthed and wide-eyed.

"Do you think you can beat Fred and George? I mean, it's a Weasley family tradition that each Weasley gets taught poker during their first week by the oldest Weasley at Hogwarts, and Percy wasn't a very good player, but when Fred and George were here their first year, Charlie was here, so they learned from him, so they know a few more things than I do. I mean, I've asked them to give me a few lessons, but they keep insisting that it was Percy's job, but Percy has sort of rejected us, so maybe they might show me, but they'll probably insist that I should know by now, so… I mean, if someone could put them in their place that isn't Mum, and she doesn't know about the poker tradition, so I can't exactly tell her about it, ya know?"

Nico let out a large laugh. "Sure, no problem. And what's your main problem with poker? Maybe I can help."

At this, Ron blushed a deep red. "My poker face gets me every time. It's useless; people can always tell when I'm bluffing." He mumbled quietly.

"Oh that's easy to fix, all you need is practice without the worry of losing money. There's a muggle card game that I learned that helps with that, I can teach you and help you find your poker face."

"Really? That's great, thanks Nico!" Ron exclaimed before his eyes settled on a tapestry. "Come on, there's a passageway here that cuts out five minutes of the journey, and another from the Entrance hall to right outside the defense office, only a few doors down. I'll show you." and with that, Ron grabbed Nico's arm and started dragging him through the passageway, getting him to the second floor right by the stairs to the entrance hall. Once outside the passageway, Ron pointed to a painting of three Victorian era women playing cards, saying that the other passageway was behind it. Nico nodded, memorizing where all the passageways were, so that if necessary he could make quick, unquestionable escapes, shadow-traveling from in front of the entrances and reappearing on the other side. Even in the magical world, people thought that under-seventeen year-olds reappearing and disappearing at will was weird.

Ron and Nico rushed into the Great Hall, seating themselves by Fred and George, who attempted to engage Nico in conversation, though Ron hushed them, saying that Nico had detention soon with the toad. Nico smiled in between shoving his food with Sheppard's Pie, thinking that the description of their professor was accurate. When he finished he ran off to the passageway, dodging some first-year Slytherins. When he reached the passageway he tugged at the frame a bit, and it gave way, showing a dusty passageway, full of shadows. Nico quickly closed the door quietly before anyone could come by, and shadow-traveled to the end of the passage, long accustomed to the rush of darkness that came with running through the shadows. He poked his head out from a dark green tapestry and tip-toed out, and walking quickly to Professor Umbridge's office. He knocked his hand on the door, and heard an immediate reply in a sugary sweet voice that made his teeth hurt just by listening to it.

"Come in."

Nico opened the door, and was bombarded with an assault of pink. All surfaces were covered in lacy little doilies and cloths. There were several vases of dried flowers that would have made Persephone scream in anguish. Decorating the walls were several little plates that were decorated with large, Technicolor kittens, each with its own little bow hung around its neck. The walls were papered with a pink, nauseating pattern that made Nico wonder if the Underworld should change its color scheme. This was far more torturous than the black parapets and obsidian walls.

Nico looked at the horrible sight, transfixed by the foulness of the whole room that he jumped when he heard a slight cough, "hem, hem." He turned and saw the professor, not noticing her earlier due to the fact that her flowered robes blended in with the wallpaper and tablecloth on her desk.

"Good evening, Mr. di Angelo."

"Evening." Nico replied, albeit a bit stiff, with a forced politeness in his voice.

"Well, sit down," she said, pointing to a small table draped in lace beside which she had drawn up a straight-backed wooden chair. A piece of blank parchment lay on the desk, apparently for his use.

Umbridge smiled at him again, sickly sweet as ever, and said, "You're going to be doing some lines for me, Mr. di Angelo. No, not your own," she said, when he reached into his bag to get out the quill and ink. "You'll be using a special one of mine." With that, she handed him a black quill with an unusually sharp end.

"What should I write, professor Umbridge?" Nico asked, his voice as sickly sweet as hers, setting her ears on edge.

"I must not tell lies." She told him softly, her voice hardly above a whisper.

"How many times?" he asked, using the same sweet, innocent voice that fooled her not for a moment. Her beady eyes narrowed slightly, before going back to their original state.

"Why, as many times as it takes for the message to sink in ."

Nico thought that this was an odd choice of wording, but said nothing. He raised his quill, but realized that she had forgotten something essential.

"You haven't given me any ink."

"I don't think you're going to need any ink." Professor Umbridge replied, the merest hint of a laugh in her voice.

Nico shrugged and started to write, I must not tell lies. He let out a small gasp of surprise and pain. The words had appeared on the parchment in shining red ink. At the same time, the words had also appeared on the back of Nico's right hand, as if traced by a scalpel- yet even as he stared at the shining cut, the skin healed over, leaving the place where it had been slightly redder, but smooth.

Nico looked around at Umbridge. She was watching him, her wide, toad like face stretched in a grin.

"Yes?"

"Nothing," Nico muttered.

He looked back at the parchment, placed the quill on it once more, and wrote, I must not tell lies, and felt the searing pain on the back of his hand for a second time; once again the words had been cut into his skin, and once again they healed over seconds later.

And on it went. Again and again Nico wrote the words on the parchment, and quickly came to the conclusion that he was in fact, writing in his own blood. It was a disconcerting thought to the son of Hades, who had a firm belief in the power of binding oaths.

Darkness fell outside of Professor Umbridge's window, while candles continued to burn inside it. The professor kept her undying gaze on her pupil as he scratched out on his hand, I must not tell lies over, and over again. The cuts healed instantaneously, leaving nothing more than a sting, but as time went on, the wounds took longer to heal, and bled more. The pain was also becoming more than a sting, but not enough to cry out from. The blood flowed freely now, a bright red with a hint of gold in it, glittering in the candlelight. I hope she doesn't notice. He had heard that this woman was responsible for laws restricting the rights of anyone that wasn't completely human. And Nico had an odd feeling that if Professor Dolores Umbridge ever found out what he was, he'd be on the run faster than you could say demigod. Of course, finding a magical school that would take him would be a bit difficult after that. And the dead might make decent muggle teachers, on the matters of magic, a live person was required. Otherwise Nico would have just learned from the shades. Though having a chat with Nicolas Flamel would be interesting…

Eventually, long after darkness, far after curfew, Professor Umbridge spoke to him.

"Come here."

Nico stood, his hand in pain, the blood still flowing, but it had slowed tremendously after he had ceased writing with the cursed quill. After a minute the blood stopped, and Nico wiped his hand discreetly on his trousers, leaving no blood on his hand, the words clearly shining pink over the raw red skin.

"Hand." She said.

He extended it, and she took in her own. Nico repressed a shudder as she touched him with her thick, stubby fingers on which she wore a number of ugly old rings with gems that may look real, but were clearly fakes to a son of Hades.

"Tut, tut, I don't seem to have mad much of an impression yet," she said, smiling that sickly sweet smile. "Well, we'll just have to try again tomorrow evening, won't we? You may go now, and try not to get caught dearie. It wouldn't be good to be caught after curfew, now would it?"

Nico stared at her, furious, and gave her the glare he reserved for the people he hated. He was willing to bet she had someone a few corridors down, waiting to catch him. He gave her a curt nod, and turned, leaving the room quickly. After closing the door, he checked for the life auras around him, and satisfied that Filch was still a few corridors off, shadow-traveled to a spot a little ways from Gryffindor Tower and hurried to the portrait of the Fat Lady. There, waking her up without waking up the entire castle was the problem.

He tried tapping on her frame, whispering, "M'am? Miss? If I could please get in now, that would be helpful, please?"Nico did a quick cast of life auras. Merda, Professor McGonagall was patrolling nearby, and would be there in a minute. Slight panic overtook Nico. He couldn't exactly travel into the middle of the common room, or his dorm. If people saw him, it wouldn't be good. And he couldn't even claim young apparator, because you couldn't apparate inside of Hogwarts. His father had made him read all of the rules before he came here.

Nico's tapping became more frantic, his voice growing a slight accent as he did so. "Signora, per favore, let me in, I don't need another detention. I'll try not to be back late again, ti prometto, just let me in!"

Finally the Fat Lady woke up, starting u a bit. She looked around some, then noticed Nico. He said the password quickly, muttered a quick "gratzi" and slipped inside the portrait, closing it just as Professor McGonagall came into sight. Nico stood by the portrait quietly, waiting until she was gone, before slipping away to his dorm, noting the empty common room. He could have shadow-traveled into the common room, without worry. But better safe than sorry, he told himself.

Not wanting to take chances, Nico stole his way into his dorm quietly, getting into bed quickly, drawing the curtains as soon as he got to his bed. He lit the candle beside his bed, took out a quill and parchment, and got to work on his essays. This may be a repeat year for him, but he didn't intend to fail. Besides, he told himself, working on the translating charms would be useful. Writing in Greek was so much easier than English, or Italian even.

Though he scowled when dripped a huge glob of ink on the parchment. The Wizarding World of Europe was way behind the American one. The use of paper and pencils was one adjustment that he was rather fond of.


End file.
